Synopsis

Michishio Nagasumi's life couldn't be any more normal. In an odd twist of events, during his summer vacation he ends up almost drowning in the sea. Luckily, the cute mermaid Seto Sun appears to save him. However, Sun is from a yakuza mermaid family and according to their law, if a human is to catch sight of a mermaid, either he or the mermaid must die. The only other way is for Nagasumi to be taken in as a family member, marrying Sun. In attempts to save both of their lives, Nagasumi asks for Sun's hand in marriage. Nagasumi's summer vacation reaped more then what he would expect, as he must now protect Sun from others finding her secret out.

Seto no Hanayome is one of the rarest types of anime you can find - a parody rom-com that is actually extremely funny!

This is without doubt one of the funniest animes released in the past few years, and I have never seen parody done so well since the original Jungle wa itsumo hale nochi guu (especially Michishio Nagasumi's pardoy of Ken from Fist of the North Star, and Runa's father as the the terminator).

The art style in this anime, like most parodies, can take a little getting used to, but it doen't really cause headaches. The characters have all have their own quirks and foibles (San-chan's sakura petals appearing out of nowhere for instance, and Nagasumi's first kiss - I laughed so hard I got cramps), but these traits enhance the characters.

One of the biggest plus points for this anime is the ending. All too often in anime we see a great series end with a whimper. Not here. The ending was brilliant in both it's seriousness and it's humour - in other words it's seriously funny.

I would recommend this series to anyone who likes jaw dropping, side splitting, mind boggling humour. I have laughed as much since I first watched Inukami - now there's ashow that's SO wrong :Dread more

In my life, I've only experienced exuberant mirth once.
I found myself fallen from my chair, gripping the underside of my couch, asphyxiating from laughter, tears streaming down my cheeks as my sides burned in protest. I can truly, without a doubt, say that this show is a one of a kind comedic experience, and was it ever fun.
Savvy, that's what My Bride is a Mermaid is.

Artwork and Animation: 10

My Bride is a Mermaid covers an immense amount of animation styles. Given that it's part parody, many of these styles are directly inspired by other popular and well known series. There are several Jojo inspired bits, Fist of the North Star, Death Note, Naruto, the list goes on and on and on. Pop culture makes an enormous splash here too, with things like the Terminator.
On top of all this, Mermaid manages to have its own style as well, which is rather cutesy and exaggerated, but lends itself well to the comedy. It's very fluid, very fast moving, with lots of GIANT EXPLODING BOLD TEXT, and small details that are easy to overlook that all add up into one massive reference filled laugh fest.

Sound and Voice Acting: 10

This is the definitive English dub experience, truly. An ensemble cast of industry veterans and new voices alike, Mermaid is absolutely riotous with these zany, extremely energetic performances. Todd Haberkorn (FMAB), Alexis Tipton, and Cherami Leigh head up a star studded cast of voice talent, and to great effect. The ubiquitous Monica Rial stands out as Maki, the pint sized, voracious mob assassin; Christopher Sabat as Masa, the smooth talking ladykiller right hand man; and finally John Swasey as Gozaburo Seto: constantly livid, definition-of-rage mob man to name a few other standouts. The voices are incredibly dynamic, engaging, and utterly hilarious, all the time. Never a dull moment with this group.

The OP and ED are great tunes, the ska-surf feel of the intro fits in perfectly with the ocean/sea theme, and the endings are cute.

Characters: 10

Nagasumi Michishio is the quintessential "short-legged, good for nothing, unimpressive" middle school loser. He's got nothing going for him- he's a total klutz, goofy as they come, and has a penchant for getting himself into dangerous situations, which play off more and more hilariously as the series progresses. What he does have going for him, though, is heart. After he's saved from drowning by Sun Seto, his life takes a turn for the crazy, and all manner of undersea mishaps, misunderstandings, and sheer ludicrousity ensue.

Sun is a young mermaid, daughter of super dangerous mob boss Gozaburo Seto. Well meaning, but air-headed, Sun often generates as much trouble for Nagasumi as he does for himself, but she stays true, and is a very heartfelt character. She is often used as a foil for Nagasumi, Lunar, or Gozaburo, but she has plenty of moments to shine on her own, too.

Lunar: diva, pop star, and ferociously possessive to a violent level. She is the definition of cute psycho. One second she's an axe murdering bitch, the next she's an adorably narcissistic moe character. As Japan's biggest pop singer, another lover of Nagasumi's, and new student at school, Lunar adds yet another dimension of insanity to his previously mundane life.

About half the supporting cast get nearly as much screen time as the main trio, but this section would be as long as the entire review if I went through all of them individually.

Story: 9

The basis for My Bride is a Mermaid is a subversion of the Shotgun Wedding. One misunderstanding piled on top of another typically form the crux of the conflict in this show, and while many RomComs follow an episodic style, Mermaid went with a full 26 episode story arc. While it goes off on some tangents, it's never unpleasant, because it's just so dang funny.
One thing leads to another, and after Nagasumi is rescued by Sun, he's presented with an ultimatum: die, or... die. Under mermaid law, if any human sees them in their fish form, they're to be killed. Either that, or the mermaid who allowed their-self to be seen must be put to death... but when your dad is the most feared mob boss under the seas, that's not likely. There is a third option, however. The third option is that they get married.
Soon, Nagasumi's previously boring middle school existence is uprooted when his life is invaded by an entire mob family from under the sea, to uproarious results. They take over his school, his house, all aspects of his life- trying desperately (but failing) to kill him before this wedding happens. Thankfully for Nagasumi, the one thing he's good at is miraculously being able to avoid being eaten, chopped up, blown up, shot, stabbed, or otherwise destroyed. Let the games begin.

Enjoyment: 10

I'm no stranger to comedies, holding Seinfeld in the highest regard, but I have never seen a show before that has so consistently made me laugh so hard that I cried. There was not one episode that I didn't at least chuckle at. Full blown side clutching, tears streaming down were a common occurrence. I can't award enough points in enjoyment. The humor really clicked with me, and I've seen just enough film and anime to get a majority of the parodical elements, which really made the experience that much richer.

My Bride is a Mermaid has everything comedy. Despite being in a genre known only for its schlock, Mermaid breaks free of the Rom-Com mold by being FUNNY! A breath of fresh air from the other so called comedies, this one knows when to play it straight, when to lay everything out on the table, when to jump Shark Fujishiro, and how to take the laughter to stratospheric levels.

Overall: 10

As an homage to the 80s Yakuza film craze, Mermaid starts out with a lot of comedic value. Taken further by the undersea theme- there's a TON of fodder with all the sea creature jokes and funnies. Mafias made up entirely of mermaids and fish? It's wacky, it's crazy, and it's SO much fun. Every moment is a favorite, it's endlessly quotable, and there's something that everyone will recognize and laugh at here.

Recommend?

Absolutely. As far as animated comedies go, this is my #1, forever. Overall, this one might beat out Seinfeld on a good day. It's really that funny. read more

I myself am not the biggest fan of the comedy genre, most of the comedy entries these days are bland and generic with no substance that will only get a slight giggle at best. But, Seto no Hanayome is different, it's a unique entry that actually made me laugh out loud on every single episode, which is amazing considering I don't like comedy.

(There will be a tl;dr summary at the bottom for those who don't like to read)
[LIGHT SPOILERS AHEAD]

The story starts out with our protagonist Michishio Nagasumi, regarded by most as a useless person that shines in the most useless of ways in useless situations. He is on vacation on Seto island visiting his grandmother's. One day while he was at the beach, he went too far out and almost drowned, almost. He sees the image of what looks like a mermaid come to his aid, this mermaid was Seto Sun, the daughter of the Seto mermaid yakuza leader. Since Nagasumi saw Sun in her mermaid form, Sun has two options, she kills him and anyone else who saw her, or she marries him.

This sets up the series with a premise that allows for a lot of comedy to ensue, "But wait" you might ask, "Hasn't this premise been done before in things like To Love Ru?" You would be correct, but what separates Seto no Hanayome from the rest is the way that it executes its jokes.

Most of them fall under the "Ironic Comedy" category, basically setting up a situation where you think you know what's going to happen next, like a girl trying to confess her feelings to a guy, then throwing a wrench in the works and giving you something completely different then what you expected. Another plot device that produces massive amounts of comedy is the fact that if any mermaid gets water on their legs, their legs turn back into mermaid form

Also, since this is a parody anime, there are many references and jokes correlating to their respective franchises, such as JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, Naruto, Dragonball Z, and even Evangelion and Sgt Frog.

While the subject of comedy is completely subjective and what people find funny varies from person to person, it's hard to watch this show and not get a hard laugh out of it.

One of the things I had a gripe with at first was the art style, I could forgive the animation seeing as it was made 7 years ago, but the art style didn't click with me at first, especially the design of the main heroine, Sun. She has these bang-things that are on the top of her head that go all the way down to her chin, I'm not sure if this is how she was meant to be or if it's just making fun of similar hairstyles in other anime, because it does resemble a lot of hairstyles from Naruto. Another major gripe I had in general, which were the eyes of the characters, the eyes in particular don't sit well with me, they look like someone glued legos to their eyes. But I completely understand why they are the way they are, it's a parody anime, and the art styles of which tend to be on the goofy side of the spectrum, who knows, it might be a light jab at other parody anime.

Another thing that makes this series great is its cast of characters, as generic as they may be. I'll start with Seto Sun, the main heroine of the series and love interest of Nagasumi, she comes off as somewhat of an airhead at times but shows a strong passion towards Nagasumi, with the sword skills of a master and a code of honor comparable to that of a medieval knight. Yes, as much as this show likes to flaunt it's comedy around, it really does have solid characters and character development.

I might sound like a broken record at this point, but there's another pro of this anime, that being its soundtrack. It has many tracks that are only played on only one or two episodes, which gives the soundtrack lots of variety, one of my personal favorites being 瀨戶之花嫁-Your Gravitation, which is the song that Seto Sun sings at about the halfway point of the series. It has these tracks that really do enhance the comedy as well as make the scenes of romance that more impactful. Hell, even some of the tracks are a parody, the track Hageshii Uta has a striking resemblance to Through the Fire and Flames by Dragonforce oddly enough.

Tl;dr: Seto no Hanayome is a unique entry in the rom-com genre that really hits home with the execution of its comedy and overall enjoyment with great music and lots of rewatch potential.read more

First off, I would like to get this straight. I am not a huge fan of romance anime's, throw in a harem in the way, then just forget about it . Now, dont get me wrong. I am not saying this anime breaks away from the tired formula of harems, in fact it has the word cliche written all over it. But what separates this anime from the rest, is how it uses those cliche to its advantage.

Read the synopsis, an average student gets forcibly married to the girl. We all know how those goes, right? Yes, the plot has been done a hundred times before and its teeming with stereotypical characters. Even each individual episode is predictable, as the anime goes through any harem anime would. Throughout the anime more girls come to like the protagonist, more fan service. its all textbook execution.

Make no mistake here. Yes, the episode start out predictable at first, but you have no idea what Seto is capable of. It will go from cliche and then takes a huge step forward and jump to embellished. It has a fast paced and frankly, I liked it.
Its a nice change of pace. You get to laugh non-stop in a whole episode.

I have no qualms for the sound and animation, as it does not pursue to be anything different. The animation is what you expect it to be in an anime(gravity defying hairs, radiant character designs) and the sound does nothing to stand out for me to mention anything. But from the start of the OP, it tells you that the anime will make you laugh.

But one of the key factors of why Seto No Hanayome is so downright hilarious is its brilliant application of the K.I.S.S theory. Seto No Hanayome is by no means a laid-back anime, but at the same time, there is no dull moment here as every moment is hectic enough for you to go "lmfao!". It tries to be what it can and should be, simple and funny. Because of this, the formula works.The anime is all about comedy, nothing else. It wont throw you any cheap drama just for the hell of having it. Although because its lackluster for romance, it becomes a turn off people who hunger for something amatory. But that doesnt mean the relationship between Nagasumi and San doesnt develop, its just a little late thanks to the rest of the female cast that constantly grasps Nagasumi's attention.

Another strong points of Seto is its parodies. Its derision ranges from Japanese Culture to American, heck, it even makes fun of itself. Who wouldve thought that they actually include a Hokuto No Ken parody here? Not to mention Terminator. Every episode will have you tapping the floor at least once because of its unrelenting low-brow humor.

The supporting characters also gives way for comedy, as each of one of them is provides comic antics albeit that all of it are horrifically trite. Whether its the over-protective father, the yandere, or the timid class president, they will all crack you up. Plus, the influence and interaction on each other have has a significance.And to my surprise, there is even character development. The typical lame protagonist not only goes through a transition, but something you can never imagine. He is able to mature, and he erase whatever bad impression you have for harem male leads.

Seto No Hanayome adds nothing new to the genre. It is another recycling of harem anime's. But its sheer presence of comedy is outstanding that you'll pay no attention to its unoriginal qualities. For the first time in a long time, a harem is done right.

To sum up, Seto No Hanayome is the romantic comedy that you have been looking for. Its rollicking, its over-the top and its just plain straightforward. To say its funny, would be an understatement. This is cliche at its best.read more

Seto no Hanayome is a MUCH better version of To-Love Ru. Both shows got similar theme, having the male protagonist get into a marriage that they know nothing about at first. Definitely will make you laugh like no tomorrow.

Both are harems so obviously their are going to be crushes other than the main characters. In To-Love Ru Yukki was forced to be engaged after touching Lala's chest. In Seto, after seeing a mermaid's true form Nagasumi has to choose either marriage or death. Similar stories but Seto no Hanayome is WAYYY funnier.

Both involve a boy in school who get's unwillingly married to a girl who is not human. Both are full of humor and while To-Love-Ru is more provocative, Seto no Hanayome is just as good. To-Love-Ru revolves around aliens and Seto no Hanayome revolves around mermaids.

- Both anime main heroes meet non-human girls and are forced to marry them.
- Both need to deal with girl's families which are more or less hostile to them,
- Both anime are good comedies with CRAZY sense of humour.

These are hilarious comedies that take place in a mermaid/island background with lots of girls all chasing after the male protagonist. Both have their own redundancy: nose bleeding or ill-treating. I'll let you guess which gets which :)

If you enjoyed this anime, you'll enjoy Nagasarete Airantou, Set no Hanayome has more comedy than Nagasarete, but Nagasarete has it's funny parts too, they both have romance, and they are both enjoyable to watch to kill some time.

Both start off the same way with the main characters drowning at the start of episode one. Some characters have similar personalities. They are also both romantic comedies, but are more about the comedy than the romance.

Seto no Hanayome and Nagasarete Airantou are two anime that take any serious story line and throw it out the window, Starting off by forcing their MC into a dire situation that has crazy twists and turns that are generally funny to watch as their situation gradually gets more and more life threatening. Neither of these shows care that they don't make any sense and its that innovation that makes each a very enjoyable watch

Both animes have similar "stupid and random" humor; a love triangle between the comedic male protagonist, a tsundere, and the cutesy nice girl; a little fantasy (Baka Test has summoned beings while SetoHana has mermaids); and even homo-erotic jokes thrown in to make you laugh, feel awkward, and/or fangirl.

If you were entertained while watching Baka to Test to Shoukanjuu, you'll definitely find Seto no Hanayome just as enjoyable and vice versa.

Both are great rom-coms. These two have very similar atmospheres in areas of story and comedy. The main characters in both have a secret to keep and their parents are very similar. Both have plenty of anime and culture references, also SnH and NHnH both have a side of ecchiness.

In Nogizaka Haruka and Seto no hanayome the characters are very similar. The main characters have a secret between them that they want to keep to themselves. Also the main character seto and haruka both are beauties in their school The parents are very similar too, the dad is rough and the mom is very cool and collected. Both are fun to watch and they have the same comedy style. If you like seto you'll definately wanna see nogizaka haruka.

The story is about the rich and nobble girl encounter fate with ordinary boy.
Both story have the father who always over protective.
Both story are very interesting and very entertaining.
Both story have epic ending.
The only difference is the theme (magic (fantasy) and non-magic)

• main characters find out a big secret
• main heroines are kind of dense and air headed
• main characters helps all the characters
• HAREM
• fathers are over protective and has power
• mothers control the fathers lol ^

both anime have similar gag, school life and often use to cite other anime or film, the main characters are always in absurd situations and most of the characters are crazy! if you enjoy school rumble, seto no hanayome is a good alternative

They both have a quirky approach to comedy, having the over the top emotional expressions, and the most comical voice work for most of the characters in both shows, and taking everyday situations and turning them into outrageous occurances - make for great rom-com fun.

Seto no Hanayome and School Rumble shows a cast of funny, charismatic, eccentric and well voiced chacacters. In addition, the nonsense reigns in his simple stories. However, in my opinion, SR is better

I was only a few episodes into Seto no Hanayome and I felt like I was rewatching School Rumble!. Hilariously funny stuff- incredible facial expressions, horribly entertaining situations, and that overall feeling of "This is so stupid, but I can't stop laughing!"

Featuring similar Yakuza Songs lol
Comedy with Fantasy + School with Harem and a bit of ecchiness as spice
Rich in funny characters
Running in moderate to fast pace
Well SnH's far more vigorous in some episodes

Both are produced by AIC and have similar art style. The funny scenes are very similar and both are a harem rom-com. I found Seto no Hanayome more funnier than Nyan Koi, but Nyan Koi was a bit more moe than Seto.